Decumulation - more than you ever wanted to know about post retirement income.

Click here to download the session presentation. 

Steve Schubert, Director of Superannuation, Russell Australia

Steve Schubert is the director of actuarial and benefits consulting with Russell Investment Group. He brings to Russell specific areas of expertise in Superannuation, employee benefits, and benefit liability management. He joined Russell in 2004 during the acquisition of Towers Perrin Australia.  Prior to Russell Steve was a principal of Towers Perrin and a director of Towers Perrin Australia. Steve joined the Melbourne office of Towers Perrin in 1988. Prior to that role he spent eight years with the superannuation subsidiary of a major life office in a range of roles including manager actuarial services and state director. At Towers Perrin and Russell, Steve was responsible for providing advice to a number of major employers and funds on a wide range of topics. His particular areas of expertise include retirement incomes, fund mergers and restructuring and special defined benefit funding arrangements.

Steve has held roles as the appointed actuary to the Victorian State Superannuation Fund and to the superannuation schemes operated by Telstra, CGU, BHP Billiton and the National Australia Bank.   Steve is a member of the Council of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. He is Convenor of the Institute's Superannuation and Employee Benefits Practice Committee, and is a member of its Retirement Incomes Taskforce. Steve qualified as an actuary in 1984. Whilst completing his examinations he was awarded Prescott Prizes for outstanding performance in Superannuation, Institutional Investment and Life Insurance as well as a prize for overall performance.

KiwiSaver and an ageing population: what are the next steps?

To obtain a copy of the session presentation please contact Susan St John  

Susan St John, Department of Economics, University of Auckland

Susan St John, BSc, MA, PhD, is co-director of the University of Auckland's Retirement Policy and Research Centre.  She was deputy chair of the 1997 Periodic Report Group on retirement incomes and on the advisory board for the 2007 Review of Retirement Incomes in New Zealand.

So that was nice.... now what?  What trends are starting to emerge because of KiwiSaver?

Click here to download the session presentation 

Peter Verhaart, Chief Investment Officer, Arcus Investment Management
Peter Verhaart is responsible for overall investment activities of Arcus. He chairs the NZ Investment Strategy Committee and also sits on the AXA Australia Investment Management Committee and the ipac Australia Investment Management Committee. Peter has recently moved to Arcus having spent eight years with Mercer Investment Consulting where he was most recently Head of Investment Consulting and a member of the senior leadership team. Peter holds a Bachelor of Science degree in pure mathematics, a Post Graduate Diploma in financial mathematics and a Diploma of Financial Planning. He is a founding member of the New Zealand chapter of the CFA Society.

Anthony Edmonds, Head of Sales & Marketing, AMP Capital Investors

In this role he is responsible for AMP Capital Investors' sales and marketing functions. Anthony has been with AMP Capital Investors since 1998 and during this time has been responsible for managing key relationships with corporate superannuation, charitable and institutional clients. Prior to joining the company, Anthony worked as a Client Service Manager for five years, gaining a strong background in client servicing, product design, portfolio administration and accounting and investment management.

Responsible Investments - what do the guidelines for providers of workplace savings mean for you?

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Sue Brown, Partner, DLA Phillips Fox

Sue has more than 20 years experience as a lawyer in New Zealand, Australia and the UK . She has recently returned to our New Zealand practice, after spending three years in our financial services department in Sydney.  Sue has specific expertise in superannuation and funds management law, and her clients include a wide variety of significant financial institutions and superannuation schemes. 

 Alasdair McBeth, Partner, DLA Phillips Fox

Alasdair is one of New Zealand's leading funds management and superannuation lawyers.  He has special expertise in the prudential governance of financial assets, including Crown financial assets. Alasdair advises on superannuation schemes and all forms of collective investment vehicles including PIE funds. Alasdair has been a member of the Ministry of Economic Review advisory group on collective investment vehicles as part of its review of financial products and providers. 

Moving towards responsible investments -what's profitable, what's popular & what are providers doing?

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Russell Garret, Mercer Investment Consulting

Russell is a senior associate with Mercer's investment consulting business and is based in Wellington.  Russell is responsible for managing client relationships as well as providing advice relating to strategic asset allocation, portfolio construction, and manager selection.  He is also responsible for facilitating access to Mercer's global responsible investment team.

Russell has over 17 years experience in financial services both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.  Russell joined Mercer in 2008 after seven years with a leading Australasian bank, including time in its investment management, corporate superannuation and KiwiSaver businesses.  Prior to this, Russell spent six years with a prominent New Zealand trustee company in both its custody and corporate trustee services divisions.

Russell is a CA member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds an honours degree in Accounting from the Victoria University of Wellington. 

Greg McAllister, ASB Group Investments

Greg manages the Wholesale Distribution team for ASB Group Investments and is in the senior management team for the ASB Group Investments' business. He has national responsibility for managing sales for the Group Superannuation distribution channels and clients. His team is also responsible for the service and support to the Group's two large retail investment distribution channels, Sovereign and ASB Bank.

Prior to joining ASB Group Investments in September 2007, Greg was the General Manager Human Resources for ASB Bank. Greg joined ASB Bank in February 2000 having developed his career as an HR professional within consulting, health and telecommunications environments. He is an accomplished speaker and for a short period of time lectured in Management Studies at Waikato University. He has been a small business owner and is a current board member of the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern). He is on the NZ Regional Council Finsia and the AUT MBA Advisory Board.

Recession, depression or limited growth - the outlook for future returns.

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Donna Purdue, Economist, Westpac

Donna has been an economist with Westpac since 1999.  Her primary role is to analyse and develop Westpac's overall view of the prospects for the New Zealand economy.  Her forecasting responsibilities include investment (residential and business), the government sector, and the housing market. She is also responsible for contributing to, managing, and editing Westpac's flagship economics publication - Economic Overview, and is responsible for Westpac's Consumer and Employment Confidence Surveys.  In addition, she contributes to a range of other internal and external research pieces produced by the Economics Department.  Prior to joining Westpac Donna worked for the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

Asset Allocation - what's hot & what's not.

Click the name to download the session presentations   Millar / Iverson

Stuart Millar, Investment Manager - Strategy, ING

Stuart assists with the asset allocation decision, currency management and analysis of ING's international equity managers. He provides quantitative and investment analysis services for the broader investment management team, and is responsible for the technical development and integration of investment and trading systems. Stuart joined ING's finance division in 1998 and was appointed Investment Analyst in 2001. Previous work experience includes a business analyst role with Alcatel in New Zealand and broad overseas experience working for JP Morgan Securities in the areas of stock lending and emerging markets. He has a Bachelor of Business and graduate diploma in business and holds a CFA. 

David Iverson, GSJBW Asset Management

David is Director of Institutional Investment Services at Goldman Sachs JB Were. In this role, he manages the delivery of Goldman Sachs and GSJBW investment services and products to institutional funds in New Zealand, including government and corporate superannuation funds. 

What the Australian experience means for us.

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Ross Clare, Acting Director Policy & Best Practice, ASFA

Ross Clare has degrees in Economics and Law from the Australian National University.  Prior to joining the staff of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) he held senior positions with the Australian Treasury and an Australian Government research agency.

Ross, as Director of Research at ASFA, has over the last decade or so, prepared a wide range of research papers and contributed to submissions across a range of superannuation and retirement income issues.  An important part of this work has related to adequacy of incomes in retirement.  He initiated the publication by ASFA of Retirement Budget Standards which indicate the level and breakdown of expenditure required to support either a modest or comfortable lifestyle in retirement.

Ross has also been involved in work at ASFA on how it might be possible to get individuals to save more for retirement.  This has involved exploration of approaches such as "soft compulsion" and through providing individuals greater information on likely retirement savings by way of on-line calculators and benefit projections in fund annual member statements.

Regulations - what's black, what's white & what's still grey?

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Mike Woodbury, Partner, Chapman Tripp

Mike specialises in superannuation, KiwiSaver and funds management. He was ASFONZ Chairman from 2003 to 2005, was an ASFONZ Councillor  from 2001 to 2007, and is a regular ASFONZ seminar presenter.

Mike's practice has recently focussed heavily on developing KiwiSaver and complying superannuation fund products and solutions (and transition arrangements) for a wide range of providers, trustees, and employer sponsors of schemes. In recent years Mike has advised the Ministry of Economic Development on certain policy aspects of KiwiSaver, acted for the State Services Commission on establishing the State Sector Retirement Savings Scheme, been a member of the Government-appointed Savings Product Working Group (whose recommendations led to the KiwiSaver legislation) and acted for the Ministry of Education on establishing the Teachers' Retirement Savings Scheme.

Mike has experience, and an active interest, in superannuation-related policy development and lobbying. He has developed excellent relationships with officials in that capacity. Mike has been influential in recent years (with industry colleagues) in obtaining the prospectus exemption facility for employer-based superannuation schemes, various corrections and design improvements for the KiwiSaver legislation (including the availability of the complying superannuation fund facility) and the consent-free transfers facility. 

Mark Todd, Partner, Bell Gully

Mark is a partner in Bell Gully's Auckland office.  He has a broad corporate/commercial law background but specialises in financial services law and employee share schemes.

Mark is one of relatively few lawyers with expertise in all aspects of financial services law, including superannuation, unit trusts and insurance.  This provides Mark and his clients with a competitive advantage. 

He is actively involved with industry affairs and is a member of the Legislation Committee of the Investment Savings and Insurance Association. 

Mark led Bell Gully's ACC reform project team in Auckland.

Recent Experience

• All aspects of KiwiSaver.
• Documenting unit trusts, superannuation schemes and insurance policies.
• Producing disclosure documents for investment products.
• Advising on all aspects of employer-sponsored superannuation schemes.
• Advising on corporate transactions involving the financial services industry.
• General financial services law advice.

From fee guidelines to fee transparency - has the journey been mapped out?

Click on the name to download the session presentations   Benison / Russell

David Benison, Government Actuary

David Benison qualified as an actuary in England. His actuarial career has covered both life insurance and superannuation experience in UK, France and New Zealand. 

He became Government Actuary in 2003.

He is based in Wellington and lives on a life style block at Pauatahanui. 

Mark Russell, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

PIE's - 15 things you have to get right to make it work.

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Ian Miller, Head of Wholesale - Investments, Tower Asset Management

Ian has worked in the financial services industry for 21 years and is a recent addition to the ASFONZ council, participating in the Profile and Growth subcommittee. Ian has held a range of roles across sales management to distribution strategy and his earlier career was focussed on portfolio build and implementation at the BNZ. Ian gained his corporate and institutional experience over 10 years with AMP as head of the workplace business, and recently accepted the position of Head of Wholesale Investments for TOWER Investments. Outside work, family, cricket coaching and diving complement his work interests. 

Murray Sarelius, Partner, KPMG

Choosing your super provider, do you, don't you & what do you look for?

Click on the name to download the session presentations   Reid / Lowe

Bernard Reid, Melville Jessup Weaver

Bernard Reid is an actuary with extensive experience in all aspects of superannuation and investment consulting.   He has advised many New Zealand superannuation schemes in areas such as benefit design, actuarial issues, investment strategy, IAS19 and FASB accounting.   Bernard was a member of the Government-appointed Workplace Savings Working Group whose report led to the development of KiwiSaver.   Prior to joining Melville Jessup Weaver, Bernard was at Watson Wyatt/ Mercer for 14 years, where he was the national practice leader of retirement consulting.

David Lowe, Manager Advisory Services, EMA (Northern)

David, Manager Advisory Services for EMA, has experience in all aspects of human resource management, and employment and industrial relations from working in transport, finance, telecommunications and central government.  From 2001 David was with Spotless Services Ltd with national responsibility for 8,500 employees at 3,000 sites.  He was previously National Human Resources Manager for Stagecoach New Zealand, and has also been Employee Relations Manager with Trust Bank (now WestpacTrust), and HR advisor for Telecom.  In the late 1980's David was for a time private secretary to Rt Hon Helen Clark and the Hon Bill Birch.

Changing your superannuation provider and making ‘consent free' transfer work for you.

Click here to download the session presentation

Click here to download the session Background Paper

Stephen Ward, Partner, Simpson Grierson

Stephen is a senior commercial partner at Simpson Grierson and leads the Firm's Superannuation and Insurance Market Group.  He is also a member of Simpson Grierson's Board of Management.

Stephen advises New Zealand and international corporates, financial institutions, insurers, New Zealand Government entities and trustees on superannuation, insurance and corporate/commercial matters.

 Ken Dixon, Business Development Mnaager, AMP Fiancial  Services

Ken has worked for AMP for over 30 years, the last 25 years in the Corporate Superannuation area.  He is part of AMP's Workplace Savings team based in Auckland.

Ken has been involved in numerous transfers of both defined contribution and defined benefit plans to AMP's master trust plan the New Zealand Retirement Trust.  Ken will share some of his experiences in his session. 

Workplace investment advice - an employer's guide

Click here to download the session presentation

David Ireland, Partner, KensingtonSwan

David has been a regular participant in ASFONZ seminars and events over the past decade and is an ASFONZ Councillor.  His managed funds practice involves providing legal solutions and commercial assistance for scheme administrators, fund managers, trustees, sponsoring employers and insurers, with an emphasis on compliance training and disclosure advice.  In recent times, David has been heavily involved in KiwiSaver issues including  the development of KiwiSaver solutions for a variety of providers, employers and superannuation scheme trustees.   David’s expertise extends to master trusts, wrap services, and wholesale and nominee investment structures.

Life and disability insurance is David’s other main commercial speciality.  David advises upon policy and marketing documentation, adviser and intermediary agreements, group insurance arrangements, and the assessment and administration of claims.   A foundation member of the New Zealand Trustees Association, David convenes the Institute of Chartered Accountants Wellington Branch Trusts Special Interest Group and has presented numerous seminars on risk management and other issues confronting trustees.  David’s trusts expertise is integral to David’s work with superannuation scheme trustees.

Lisa Dudson, Acumen Inc Ltd

Lisa Dudson  ASM, CFP, BBS, GradDipBusStud (Personal Financial Planning) Lisa is a best selling NZ author, winner of the 2003 Young Financial Planner of the Year, has appeared on TV, radio and in magazines and is sought after as a speaker.  Lisa is a director of a number of businesses in the financial sector and is a successful investor who offers practical advice based on her industry expertise and the strategies she has personally used.  www.moneyTV.co.nz, www.acumen.co.nz. 

Remuneration strategies that work with compulsory employer contributions.

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Peter Cornish, Hay Group

 Peter Cornish is Director Executive Reward for HayGroup based in Wellington, with responsibility for the Executive Reward practice. Peter works with Boards of Directors, Chief Executives and their Senior Teams on a range of organisational, remuneration and reward issues.